Method of salvaging defectively knitted blanks



9 Oct. 26, 1937. c. w. STRZALKOWSKI I METHOD OF SALVAGING DEFECTIVELY KNITTED BLANKS Filed Dec. 21, 1956 12 11. 17 gz,,17g.1

. I 3nventor 32 WW3 I 55 W a attorneys Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF SALVAGING DEFECTIVELY KNITTED BLANKS 7 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in meth-' the production of full-fashioned hosiery blanks are so constructed that each machine simultaneously produces a considerable number of blanks. Machines containing 18 sets of needles, or 20 sets of needles, or 24 sets of needles, are in common use. And as one blank is produced by each 10 set of needles, to stop any such machine for the correction of a defect in one of the blanks entails a loss of time which is multiplied by the numberof sets of needles used in the machine, since the knitting of the other blanks must be suspended for the period during which the machine is stopped. Therefore it has heretofore- By my improved method I knit sets of blanks in the usual manner, and I segregate the defective blanks upon completion of each set. But instead of destroying the defective blanks, I

classify them with reference to the points at' which such blanks first show defective knitting, and then temporarily store them in accordance with their separate classifications.

In each classification group, I unravel the blanks stored therein to acommon starting point.

The starting point is predetermined by the blank having the earliest defect among those in that classification. Thus, all the blanks stored in that classification will be brought to the same length, and all will be properly knitted to the point thus predetermined. The blanks are then arranged in sets.

In each group the number of blanks in a set will correspond with the number of needle sets on the machine. For example, if the machine 5 has 24 needle sets, then there will be 24 blanks in each set in any. given classification of blanks which have had their defective portions unraveled. If the machine contains only 20 needles, then 20 such blanks will comprise a set, and if the machine contains only 18 sets of needles, then 18 blanks will comprise a set.

The end loops of each blank are engaged by a suitable topper and shifted to a transfer bar of ordinary type, whereby the blanks may be readily returned to the needle sets oi the knitting machine. By providing a sumcient number oftransfer bars, a complete set of blanks may be transferred to a knitting machine having the same number of sets of needles, whereupon the knitting operation may be resumed and all of the 5 blanks of the transferred set knitted to .completion simultaneously.

In this manner each knitting machine will operate upon a full set of salvaged blanks, and as none of the sets of needles will be idle, the 10 only time lost by the machines in salvaging the blanks will be the time required for shifting from one set of blanks to the next, and. use of the transfer bars makes the time loss inconsiderable.

In order to keep a record of the salvaged blanks,

I provide the controlling chain of each knitting machine with av tally operating lug or striker. I shorten the chain so that it merely controls the operations of the machine necessary to complete 20 the blanks which are being salvaged. The chain otherwise operates in the ordinary manner, and upon completion of each revolution the striker may operate a tally, thus keeping a complete record of the number of sets of salvaged blanks. 25

In further explanation of my salvaging method, I refer to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 illustrates a defective blank.

Figure 2 illustrates the same blank "with both heel tabs unraveled far enough to eliminate the 30 defect in one oi the tabs.

Figure 3 illustrates a blank having a defective ankle portion.

Figure 4 shows the same blank when unraveled to eliminate the defect. 35

Figure 5 illustrates the blank shown in Figure 2 when transferred to a transfer bar.

Figure 6 shows the transfer bar as it is used to return the blank to the needles of a knitting machine.

Figure '7 illustrates a control chain of an ordinary knitting machine when adjusted to salvage a set of blanks, the tally operating attachment being also illustrated.

Figure 8 is a conventional illustration of a .45

counting wheel associated with said control chain for operation by said tally operating attachment.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The blank i0 illustrated in Figure 1 is defective, 59 a defect appearing at I I in the left-hand heel tab 12. The same blank is shown at la in Figure 2. with the heel tabs lila and l3a unraveled far enough to eliminate the defect indicated in F gure 1. 55

Similarly, the blank I! shown in Figure 3 has a defect indicated at l6, and in Figure 4 the same blank lid is illustrated after it has been unraveled to eliminate the defect.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated the blank Illa after it has been shifted to a transfer bar iii of ordinary type, such, for example, as are used to transfer leg blanks to foot knitting machines.

' In Figure 6 a fragment of the transfer bar l8 (enlarged) is shown with two of its pins l9 engaged in the loops of the heel 'portion l2a of the blank shown in Figure 2. The transfer bar and its pins are shown as they appear when the transfer is about to be made to the needles 2!! of a knitting machine, the pins I! having their points in initial engagement with the beards 2| of the knitting needles, whereby a downward movement of the transfer bar will carry the end loops of the knitted fabric over the needle eyes in accordance with common practice'where such transfer operations are performed.

In Figures 7 and 8 it will be observed that the control chain hasbeen shortened to retain only the control lugs 26, 21, 28, 29 and 30, which are -required to control the operation of the-knitting machine while completing the heel tabs. But I have provided the chain with an additional lug 3|, this lug being mounted on a chain at one side of the paths traversed by the control lugs and in a position to engage a projection 32 on the counting wheel 33 (Figure 8).

The unlettered parts illustrated in Figure 7 are conventional illustrations of associated parts of the knitting machine controlled by the chain 25. These illustrations are merely conventional,-

and the counting wheel 33 shown in Figure 8 may also be regarded as a conventional illustration of a counting wheel of any ordinary type.

In large knitting mills the customary practice of discarding defective blanks has resulted in an annular loss of many thousands of dollars. Particularly in the manufacture of silk hosiery, the

loss heretofore sustained through defective blanks has been exceedingly large. And so far as I am aware, no method has ever been devised whereby such loss could be avoided. But by the method herein disclosed, the cost of salvaging these blanks is trifling in comparison with the loss resulting from their destruction, and the salvaged blanks are equal in value to blanks which are perfectly knitted in the first instance.

I claim:

1. The method of salvaging fiat knitted defective blanks, consisting in temporarily storing the defective blanks, grouping .them with reference to the location of their defects, unraveling them to eliminate the defects and establish a common starting point, and completing them in sets simultaneously knitted from said common starting point.

2. The method of salvaging flat knitted defective blanks, consisting in unraveling a set of defective blanks to a common starting point, topping them in on a flat knitting machine and reknitting the dei'ective end portions simultaneously.

3. The method of salvaging flat knitted defective blanks, consisting in grouping defective blanks with reference to the location of the defects, accumulating sets of blanks in each group with reference to the capacity of a flat knitting machine, unraveling the blanks to eliminate the defects and establish a common starting point for each group, mounting the blanks on transfer bars, and transferring each'group of blanks to a flat knitting machine for reknitting operation from said common starting point.

4. The method of salvaging flat knitted defective blanks, consisting in grouping-defective blanks with reference to the location of the defects, accumulating sets of blanks in each group with reference to the capacity of a flat knitting machine, unraveling the blanks to eliminate the defects and establish a common starting point for each group, mounting the blanks on transfer bars, transferring each group of blanks to a flat knitting machine for reknitting operation from said common starting point, and recording the number of sets of blanks so salvaged.

5. The method of salvaging flat lmitted defective blanks, consisting in grouping the defective blanks with reference to the location of the defects, unraveling the blanksin each group to a'common starting point, adjusting a knitting machine for simultaneous completion of a set of blanks having such a common starting point, and then topping in and simultaneously completing a set of blanks on said knitting machine.

6. The method of salvaging flat knitted de-. fective blanks, comprising the unraveling of defective flat knitted blanks to a common starting point, adjusting a flat knitting machine for completion of said blanks, topping in the defective blanks, and completing the topped in blanks simultaneously.

7. The method of salvaging flat knitted defective blanks, comprising the unraveling of defective fiat knitted blanks to a common starting point, adjusting a flat knitting machine for completion of said blanks, topping in the defective blanks on transfer bars corresponding in number with the number of needle sets in the machine, transferring the blanks to the needle sets, and completing the transferred blanks simultaneously.

CHARLES W. STRZALKOWSKI. 

